NCAA Tournament Breakdown

The DeMo SF2 wanted me to write a letter on behalf of Northern Iowa fans to the selection committee blasting the brackets.  I was going to do that.  I had my argument all ready.  But then I started thinking about a few issues I couldn’t overcome.  Then I went back and forth on what I felt towards the committee.  But again, a few choice arguments popped in my head, so Joe, you’ll have to write that letter instead.  Therefore, if you’re a UNI fan, you’re not going to like what I have to say.  But here is a list of 10 of my thoughts following last night’s selection show.

10.  If you’re a 1 or 2 seed, shut up and stop whining.  You have the easiest path to the championship, you’re right where you want to be, and if you don’t think your path is easy enough, shut up, it’s not supposed to be easy, it’s a freaking national championship on the line, it’s not going to be handed to you(Bob Huggins).  If you’re a 1 or 2 seed, you have to win, just like everybody else, and guess what, you have the easiest path.  I do see legitimate arguments to have Ohio State and West Virginia as 1 seeds over Duke and Syracuse, but guess what, shut up and win, and you’ll be just fine.

9.  ESPN, CBS, Sports Illustrated all employ dozens of basketball experts, all predicting who will get into the tournament, and at what seed.  Even these guys, who study and live college basketball can’t agree on much.  How do you expect the selection committee to agree?  Everyone thinks they’re an expert, and still nobody agrees.  I watched a bit of a show called The Experts on ESPN last night, which had about a 10 person panel breaking down the brackets.  5 minutes after a team was profiled, I couldn’t remember their profile, their key wins and losses or why they were or weren’t seeded correctly.  It’s a ton of information to remember.  This is why I like NBA basketball better.  Everyone plays the same teams, the same number of games, and the playoffs are seeded by record.  Cut and dry, no subjectivity, or shady back room deals.

8.  Can we please turn the selection committee into a reality show?  I’m talking a 3 hour show, cameras in the room, and make the committee explain their choices live on TV to the entire world.  Let’s turn Dan Guerrero into Paris Hilton! 

7.  I swear, at one time, I knew what RPI stood for.  Now, I’m scared to Google it.  The RPI is a gateway stat.  On the surface, it seems harmless enough, but once you start to understand what it means, and the formula behind it, it will lead you into more complicated stats.  Before you know it, you will be at a cocktail party explaining sabermetric stats from baseball such as DIPS, LIPS, and VORPS that only front office baseball types understand.  All I know is you want a low RPI; that’s all I need to know.

6.  Good God, can you even imagine if we change this thing to 96 teams?  I can’t keep up with the resumes and key team statistics of 65 teams, let alone 96.  Scott Dotcherman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette had the best idea so far, the only idea that I actually liked and supported from the first time I heard it.  Let’s expand the tourney to 68 teams.  Give the 1 seeds a first round bye.  Then, you still get to recreate the magic of first round games, it allows the 4 bubble teams that seem to get screwed every year into the tournament, and lets face it, a 1 is never going to lose to a 16 anyway.

5.  Now, here’s where it’s going to get ugly for die hard UNI fans.  Should UNI be a 6, 7 or 8 seed…yes.  Can I understand why they’re a 9 seed, absolutely.  Let’s get into it:

4.  UNI didn’t play anyone all year!!  It’s not their fault Iowa and Iowa State had down years, but UNI only played one other tournament team!  The Missouri Valley was weak this year, again not UNI’s fault, but both contributing factors to UNI receiving a 9 seed. 

3.  UNI lost two bad games at the end of the season to Bradley and the MVC bottom feeder Evansville.  The committee clearly put weight on those losses, especially with no key victories to prop them up.  Along with their two bad end of season losses, the Missouri Valley Tournament is played too soon.  A week ago, Wichita State was on the board as a last 4 out.  This weekend, there was no mention of Wichita State, because everyone had forgotten about them, they were last week’s news.

2.  Just like the 1’s and 2 seeds, shut up and win.  That’s the key, everyone has to win.  The Tournament is supposed to be tough.  Even if UNI was seeded as an 8 seed, they’d have to turn around and play Kansas.  If they were seeded as a 7 seed, they’d have to turn around and play Ohio State, which, like I said above, should have been a 1 seed anyway.  What do you want UNI??  Do you want a 6 seed?  You’re not that good and you’re unproven.  You don’t deserve it, and you’d still be playing a not too shabby Georgetown!  George Mason was an 11 seed when they made their final four run.  Shut up and win!    

1.  If UNI could make a run in the tourney, or hell, even win a game, they’d have gotten more love and respect from the committee.  Look at Gonzaga, eternally overrated, but hey, they’ve made some runs.  UNI needs to win a game before they start to get that respect.  So again, what is it you want UNI lovers, do you want a 7, or 8 seed where you still turn around and play the 1 or the under ranked 2?  Shut up and win!